Pouring-ladle



N M (181.) V 0 s. J. ADAMS.

POURING LADLE.

, Patented June 19,1894.

THE NATIONAL LITNOGRAPHING comlmw.

vented a new and'useful Improvement in the labor of casting in theordinary foundries.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN JARVIS ADAMS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

' POURlNG-LADLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,51 9, dated J une19, 1894.

Application filed October 24, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, STEPHEN JARVIS ADAMS, a resident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in- Pouring-Ladles;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to casting ladles for casting in sand and likemolds, its object being to provide a convenient form of ladle for thecasting of a series of molds, for the transporting of metal in such wayas to avoid the leakage of the same through the pouring spout or outlet,and at the same time to provide for the. shifting of the ladle as foundnecessary from mold to mold, so as to reduce The ordinary custom forcasting metal insmall molds has been to employ hand ladles whicharecarried by the workmen by means of a long handle, such weight as theordinary man can carry in the ladle being received from the cupola andbeing carried by him to the molds and poured into the molds. This workis verylaborious, as in large foundries the molds are often a longdistance from the cupola and it requires the carrying of the moltenmetal this distance, while at the same time the molder must support hisladle above each mold and pour carefully so as to cause the metal toflow into the pouring gate of the mold and prevent the metal fromoverflowing, and in making small castings he must move from mold to moldand repeat the operation, this work being the heaviest in the ordinaryfoundry operations.

By my invention I provide a ladle which is under the control of theworkman and by which the large body of metal can be taken and carried tothe molds and fed to the molds, the heavy work usually done by themolder being thus overcome.

To these ends, my invention consists in a ladle mounted on trunnions andhaving a cover extending over one side thereof, and a receiving openingin the other side and a valve controlled outlet in the base, such ladlebeing adapted to swing on its trunnions so that when receiving the metalits pouring outlet may be brought to the side of the vessel or above thebody of molten metal received Serial lio- 449,910. (No model.)

formed by the one side thereof andthe cover extending over that side,and the. metal be carried by the ladle in this way to the point at whichit is to be poured, when the ladle may be turned up and the pouringspout or outlet brought as far as necessary toward the base of the ladleso that the metal maybe fed therefrom to the several molds, the flow ofthe metal being controlled by the valve or stopper, or by the swingingof the ladle.

It also consists in mounting this ladle on a suitable track or railwayand in providing means for moving the same thereon, in such way as tobring its pouring spout or outlet over the different gates in the seriesof molds.

It also consists in certain other improvements as will be hereinaftermore particularly set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich in same and the metal be held in the basin Figure l is an enlargedside view of the ladle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same The ladleA is preferably spherical in shape, I

having the form of a large hollow ball with a receiving opening a in oneside thereof,

through which the metal may be introduced into the ladle. It ispreferably formed of two metal sections or shellsb 0 connected togetherby means of flanges at extending out therefrom, through which bolts d.pass, so as to connect the two parts or sections together, this formhaving the advantage that the lower section carrying the pouring outletor spout e may be removed for repair, while the upper section 0 carriesthe operative parts of the ladle and which are not subject to so greatwear.

The ladle is preferably lined with loam,

fire clay or brick, or like material, as at a, and each section thereofmay be linedin this way, so that when a new lower sectionb is se-,

The ladle is hung on suitable trunnions f in a frame g from a suitabletrack h, which in the drawings is shown as an overhead track, and whichis arranged to extend from the cupola or other receiving point to andabove the line of molds into which the metal is to be cast, the frameghaving the flanged rollers or wheels g traveling on the track 71, andso supporting the ladle.

It will be noticed that the section or shellc forms what I have termedthe cover to the ladle, that cover extending over at least half of theladle, so that when the ladle is in the position shown in Fig. 1, thepouring spout a will be at the side of the ladle, and when the metal isrun into the same it will hold the large body of metal below such spoutand in the basin formed on one side of the ladle and the cover extendingover that side, asindicated in dotted line, this being the position inwhich the ladle is arranged to carry its lead until it is brought to thepoint at which the metal is to be cast. The ladle in this way providesfor the transporting of the metal when held below the pouring spout, sothat all liability of leakage through the same is prevented, this beingan importantfeature in itsconstruction, as it is well known that theordinary valve or stopper for closing such outlet cannot well be madetight, as it or the spout is quickly scored by the molten metal as itflows through the same.

The pouring spout e haspreferably the tubular lining e which fits withina seat formed for it in the spout or outlet, the upper end of suchlining being flaring as at c to support it within the spout and to formaseat for the valve or stopper i which enters the mouth 8 of the liningand seats itself therein; this valve or stopper 2' is secured to thebase of a reciprocating valve rod 11' which preferably extends throughthe top or cover a, a suitable guideway 2' being formed for the same,and the rod being held in position by a hinged cap i which can quicklybe opened so as to provide for the removal of the rod and its stopper.As the lower end only of the rod is exposed to the heat of the metal, itwill only be necessary to protect that end of the rod by the suitablefire clay sleeves or loam covering, as at 13*. This rod and its stopperare operated by any suitable means, such as by the lever I mounted onthe bracket 1', the upper end of the lever being made forked to fit overthe end of the stopper rod 2" and impart the necessary "movementthereto. By such movement it is evident that when the stopper becomesworn, it will be only necessary to throw open the cap 71 and draw outthe stopper rod and insert a new one and to close the cap so that incase of leakage on account of a defective stopper, this stopper can bevery quickly changed.

In case the tire clay lining e of the pouring spout becomes worn, it canbe quickly removed from the ladle and a new one inserted, or its surfacemay be repaired.

On account of the weight of the upper seetion or cover a being on oneside of the trunnions, the normal position of the ladle will be thatshown in Fig. 1, that is, in the position in which it received the metalfrom the eupola. When it is desired to bring the ladle into its pouringposition, it is turned through the lever I, or by other suitablemechanism, and in order to hold it in place, Isecure upon one trunnion aratchet wheel f into which a pawl or catch f supported on the frame gtakes, this pawl being controlled by the lever f and acting to hold theladle in whatever position is desired. The ratchet wheel f is made withdeep teeth in order to givea strong hold between it and the pawl, and toprevent the freeing of the ladle by any but a long movement of the pawl.In order to turn the ladle, it is necessary to withdraw the pawl, and inbringing it to its pouring position to turn the ladle on trunnions, andthen cause the pawl f to engage, when the ladle will be held in thatposition until it is desired to bring it back to its receiving position.

The basin of the ladle is of curved contour,

and the extension or cover formed on the same general curve or contour,for the reason that when so formed I prevent the agitation of the metaland mixing of dross therewith in turning it from one position toanother. I, of course, prefer that the ladle shall be substantiallyspherical, as above stated, but other shapes embodying the aboveprinciple may be employed.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated the ladle in connection with aseries of sand molds m, with which it is specially adapted to be employed, that series of molds on being shown with a continuous runner atextending along the same from which runner the pouring gates n extenddown into the molds. The continuous runner is illustrated as beinginclined from one of these pouring gates to the next pouring gate, as at01 the purpose of such inclination being to feed any of the metal fromsuch runner down into the next pouring gate so that as soon as one moldis filled the ladle may be moved, and in case any metal is flowingtherefrom, that metal will be fed into the next pouring gate. Anysuitable form of bridge between the several molds in the series may beemployed,such bridge being shown at m The construction of the molds andrunner illustrated forms the subject matter of other applications ofeven date herewith, Serial Nos. 449,901,449302, and 449,903; andapplication filed on November 11, 1893, Serial No. 490,650.

In the operation of pouring from such ladle over such series of molds,it is desirable to hold the ladle as nearly as practicable over thepouring gate of one mold, and then quickly bring it to the next mold,and so do away with the necessity of checking the flow of the metal, andfor this purpose any suitable shifting or step by step mechanism may beemployed. I have illustrated one form thereof which is consideredpreferable for the purpose, the track h Where it extends over the seriesof molds having a rack h thereon, and one or both wheels g having ageared face engaging with that rack, so that upon the turning of thewheel a fixed distance, according to the distance between the pouringgates, the ladle with its frame may be carried that distance. To shiftthe frame and ladle along the track, I prefer to employ a lever 19 whichis mounted on the frame, andhas the pawl or dog p engaging with aratchet wheel p secured to the wheel 9' or on the same shaft therewith,so that by drawing down the lever 19 the pawl or dog will through saidratchet wheel turn the wheel g, which by means of its gear face engagingwith the rack face of the rail It will carry the frame the desireddistance. In order to regulate this distance, I secure to the frame gthe adjustable stop 7 which extends out in the course of the lever, sothat when the lever is drawn down it will strike against this stop andits movement be checked thereby, the stop being adjustable on the frameso that it can-be regulated according to the distance between thepouring gates of the mold. The lever 19 has also the counter weight 19on an extension thereof, and when the lever is free, the-counterweightwill draw it up, the dog 10' passing over the ratchet teeth of thewheel, and the lever assuming its I normal position ready for the nextstroke in moving the ladle and its frame. The form of the propellingmechanism or the stop mechanism can, of course, be varied, as founddesirable.

In employing the apparatus as above described, the ladle is run alongits track to the cupola or other point at which it receives its charge,such, for example, as where a series of these molds is arranged to befed from another larger ladle carrying a large body of metal which isfilled at the cupola and carried along the track to difierent parts ofthe foundry at which the ladles, such as described, may be filled. Thenormal position of the ladle is that shown in Fig. 1 in which positionit will be held by the weight of the cover or upper section 0, though itmay also be locked in this position by means of the catch f engagingwith the ratchet wheel f. While in this position, the metal is pouredinto the ladle, filling the same to about the dotted line shown therein.The ladle is then drawn in any suitable way to the point at which themetal is to be-cast, when the operator by raising the catch f andlifting on the leverI can quickly turn it into its pouring position,such as shown in Fig. 2, in which case the metal will fiow within theladle to about the dotted line in Fig. 2. The ladle is then brought overthe series of molds to be poured, and the operator brings the pouringspout or outlet e over the first pouring gate in the series of molds andraises the stopper or valve '5 a sufficient distance to permit theproper stream of metal to flow into the mold. He holds or secures thevstopper in this position, and as soon as he sees that this mold isfilled, he draws down the lever giving the full stroke thereto, whichdraws the frame and ladle over so that the spout is brought abovethe-next pouring gate in the series of molds and upon releasing thelever 29 it returns to its normal position ready for the next stroke.The metal which flows from thespout during its passage from the onepouring gate to the next pouring-gate will fiow down the inclined faceof the continuous runner into the second pouring gate, so that there isno fear either of the loss of metal or of the splashing of the metalsuch as where it strikes a flat surface, this often causing the burningof the workmen if they are too close thereto. He continues in this wayto fill all the molds in the series, or a number of series of molds,feeding the metal in the manner above described, or feeding from theladle at the end of acontinuous runnor which leads to a series ofmolds,such-, for

example, as shown in an application of even date herewith, Serial No.449,901, having the metal under full control and regulating the streamas he finds proper, and in some cases, if necessary, closing off thestream entirely by forcing the stopper intothe seat of the spout. Assoon as he has filled this series of molds the ladle can be quicklyshifted onto another track and brought over another series of moldswhich may be poured in the same way. During this shifting operation, ifdesired, the ladle can be quickly brought into its receiving position,such as shown in Fig. 1, but this will not generally be found necessary.In this way the pouring of metal to small sand molds can be easily andproperly accomplished and the flow of metal to the same be regulated,while the heavy labor of carrying the metal to the molds is entirelyovercome.

In case the operator desires to pour a series of molds of differentsizes or widths, he can quickly adjust the stop raccording to the spacebetween the molds and so arrange for the carrying of the ladle theproper distance between each mold to be poured.

In case itis found that the stopper 1. is so worn as to permit theleakage of the metal,

it is only necessary to open the hinged box or bearing and withdraw thesame, and introduce a new stopper or another rod, and in case it isfound that the lining of the outlet is worn, it can be repaired, or itcan be quickly removed and a new lining inserted. Where it is found thatthe lower section b of the ladle requires relining, it can be quicklyseparated from the upper section 0 and a new lower section be secured inplace while that section is being repaired, the operative parts beingentirely connected to the upper section on the ladle.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. Aladle for casting metal in molds, mounted on trunnions and having acover extending over one side thereof and a receiving opening on theother side, and an outlet in the base of the ladle body and alongitudinally movable valve controlling the said outlet, said ladlebeing adapted to swing on its trunnions so that when receiving the metalthe ladle body is swung over to bring its pouring outlet above the levelof the metal and the metal is held in the basin formed by one side ofthe ladle body and by the cover extending over the same, substantiallyas set forth.

2. A ladle for pouring metal into molds, mounted on trunnions and formedin two sections, the upper section having a cover extending over oneside of the ladle, and the lower section having a valve controlledoutlet, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. Aladle for pouring metalinto molds, hav ing a pouring outlet in thebase, a longitudinally movable stopper adapted to form a seat with suchpouring outlet, and a bearing for the stopper rod in the upper part ofthe ladle, said bearing having a part thereof hinged so as to open topermit the removal of the stopper thereof, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4. In ladles for pouring metal into molds, the combination of a ladlebody having a pouring outlet in the base, a cover extending over oneside thereof, a valve or stopper carried on the end of a longitudinallymoving rod having a bearing in the cover of the ladle, and an operatinglever pivoted on said cover and engaging with said longitudinally movingrod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In ladles forpouring metalinto molds, the combination of a trackhaving a rack face thereon, a frame running on said track and carryingthe ladle and having a pinion engaging with said rack face, andmechanism carried by the frame for rotating said pinion, and sopropelling the ladle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In ladles for pouring metal into molds, the combination of a track, aframe running on said track and carrying the ladle, mechanism carried bythe frame for propelling said ladle, and a stop on the ladle frame toregulate the length of movement of the frame on the track, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

7. In ladles for pouring metalinto molds, the combination of a trackhaving a rack face thereon, a frame carrying the ladle and having apinion engaging with said track, a ratchet wheel on said frame, and alever mounted on said frame and having a pawl engaging with said ratchetwheel to turn the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In'ladles for pouring metal into molds, the combination of a track, aframe on said track carrying the ladle, a ratchet wheel on said frame, alever mounted on said frame and having a pawl engaging with said ratchetwheel to propel the frame, and a stop mounted on the frame in line withsaid lever to limit the movement thereof, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said STEPHEN JARVIS ADAMS, have hereunto setmy hand.

STEPHEN JARVIS ADAMS.

Witnesses:

JAMES I. KAY, J. N. COOKE.

